Type-writing machine.



J. A. RONCHETTI.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEBA, 1907.

949,808 Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I w 9 ii 11 as MTNESSES Z6 I yswoz? MJZE Mm C CQ [4% BY H/e flTT'OP/VEY W E Patented Feb. 22, 1910. I

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I TNESSES By H/s HTTOPNEY tin -ran snares manna. canton.

JOSEPH A. RONCHETTI, OF VVOON' SOCIKIECl, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. A CG'RPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

rYrE-wmrme MACHINE.

Specificationof- Letters-Patent.

Original application filed March 23, 1906, Serial No. 397,632. Divided and this application filed February 4,

Patented Feb. 22, 1210.

1907. Serial No. 355,775.

170 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. RoNorna'r'rI,

Woonsocket, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have, invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-\Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriting machines in which electricity is employed for operating certain of the devices, particularly to machines whose type-actions and char acters' are electrically connected to a distant keyboard from which they are operated. The invention is designed primarily for enabling a complete typewriting machine,

fully equipped with keys,et c.,to be exhibited in operation in a show window, while the operator is concealed from view. Certain features of the invention however may be otherwise employed, as for instance the electrical carriage operating devices maybe employed in ordinary machines in place of the usual driving springs.

, For the. carriage of the writing machine, I

' provide 'a motor which is reversible by means of a pole-changer connected to the armature; whereby the motor is enabled to drive the carriage in letter feeding direction during the writing of the line, and then to run the carriage back to begin a new line; suitable connections being made to the line-spacing vmechanism, so that the platen is partly rotated at each return of the carriage. The armature of the motor is spirally wound, so that a uniform pull is exerted upon the carriage throughout the run of the latter, this being a desideratum especially when the carriage is being fed along during the printing of the types, since at this time the carriage muststart and stop each time a type impression is made, and hence the momentum of the carria e cannot be depended upon for carrying it smoothly in this direction, but the result is obtained by the use ofa motor having uniform pull or torque.

Other features and advantages will hereina fter appear.

poses. Fig. 2 is a similar section through a keyboard which is electrically connected to the Fig. 1 machine,-so as to control the latter. Usually an entire typewriting machine is em loyed, of which the devices seen at Fig. 2 orm a part. At Figs. 1 and 2 the parts are shown in normalpositions. Fig. 3 is a plan of the devices seen at Fig. 2. Fig.4 is aview similar to Fig. 1 but showing the platen shifted up, and also showing a type-action in printing position. Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar'to Fig. 2,-but showing a type key and the shift ke depressed, whereby the results seen at ig. 4 were effected. Fig. 6 is a front view of the devices seen at Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section through one of the solenoids Seen at Fig. l for operating the typeactions. Fig. 8 is a diagram of the electrical connections between the machines seen at Figs. 1 and 2. Y

The type-actions include upper case and lower case types 1 and 2, mounted upon bars 3, so as to strike against the front side of a platen at. The type bars are hung upon a curved rod 5 and operated by bell cranks 6, connected to levers 7 bearing keys 8 and having returning springs 9.

Beneath the base of the framework 10 of the machine is supported a fixed horizontal brass plate 11, to which are attached the solenoids for operating the type-actions.

.From each key lever 7 depends a hook 12,

detachably inserted in an eye 13 in a nipple 14: formed upon the upper end of a core 15,

part of the latter being above and part be low the plate 11. Said core fits loosely in a brass tube 16, which is threaded at its upper end at 17 to screw into tapped holes 18 in the plate 11. Upon this tube I place the windings 19 of the solenoid; and said windings are inclosed in a soft iron or cast iron tubular jacket or case 20, preferably closed at its lower end by an integral interior head 21, and closed at its upper end by a plug 22 in the form of a washer fitting between the tubeclfi. and the ke s 20, said washer being preferably of soft lIOIl, although it may be made of other material. The lower end of the central tube 16 is closed by means of a screw plug 23 made of soft iron, and threaded into said tube, and extending presence of the plu 23 in the solenoid, thus' 7 insuring a strong b ow and clear imprint of the type. The downward pull of the plug is much greater at the finish than at the beginning of the printing stroke of the type bar; and the movement of the core in the solenoid is relatively short.

As seen at Fig. 8 the solenoids 19 are electrically connected by wires 24 with contacts 25 beneath the key-levers 26 of the Fig. 2 machine. The single wire 27, Fig. 8, connects all of the solenoids to a battery or source of power 28, and a wire 29 connects the latter to the metallic framework 30 of the Fig. 2

typewritin machine. The levers 26 are metal, an have metallic connections-to frame 30, so that depression of any key completes an electrical circuit through its associated contact 25, solenoid 19 and battery 28, thus causing core 15 to be pulled down, together with 11 and 7, whereby the type bar is thrown up to print. The contacts25 overlie a transverse horizontal wooden bar 31 extending alternately forward and backward from the middle portion of said bar (Fig. 3), so as to ive ample room; and each contact is bent down at 32, and beneath the bar 33, and secured by a screw 34 passing up into the under side of the bar. I These electrical devices for operating the type-actions are useful for telegraphy-and other purposes, as well as for exhibition machines, and the same is trueof the carriage operating and platen shifting mechanisms,

The usual platen carriage 35 runs upon the rear rail 36 and front rail 37, a roll 38 being provided to run upon the latter. A motor 39 drives the carriage in both directions, said motor having an armature 40, which is spirally wound as at 41,,so that it produces a spirally uniform pull or torque, and hence a'uniform pull is exerted upon the carriage. Said armature is connected by bevel pinions 42, 43 to a shaft 44, carrying a spool 45 beneath the system of solenoids 1'9. Oppositely wound cables 46, 47 extend horizontally in opposite directions from said spool and around pulleys 48, 49, to the paper carriage 35. The pulleys 48, 49 are mounted on hangers 52, depending from the platen 11 and the ulleys 50, 51, are mounted opposite the si es of the machine and extend horizontally inward therefrom to operate the carriage. The cable 46 pulls the carriage in letter ceding direction while the cab e eeaeoe unwinds from the spool'45. When the rotation of the latter is'reversed, the cable 47 returns the carriage to begin anew line 'while the cable 46 unwindsfrom the spool. 'From the pulley 50, cable 46 extends inwardly and terminates in a wire hook or loop 46*, the latter'pivoted at 53 to the usual spacing lever 54, which usually operatesa slide 55 having a pawl 56 to engage a ratchet 57 to line-space the platen 4; The end of the other cable 47 has a hook 58 caught in said wire loop 46 so that the first pull upon the cable 47 causes a movement of the lever 54 to the right at Fig. 6, thereby partiallyrotating the platen. This movement of the lever is limited by the usual stop which is indicated diagrammatically at 59, Fig. .1, in the path of the slide 55. Continued pull upon the cable 47 returns the carriage to begin a new line. At the'completion of the return movement of the carriage, the pull upon the cable 47 is relaxed, and the line-spacing mechanism is returned to normal position by the usualspring shown diagrammatically at 60, Fig. 1. Moreover the shifting of the polechanger 73 to reverse the travel of the carriage, produces a pull upon the cable 46, thus drawing the stiff wire hook 46 to the left and restoring the lever 53 to normal position.

The field windings 70 of the motor are connected by wires 71, 72, 27, 29, to the battery 28. Inthe branch. 72 of the circuit is included a pole-changer 73 to "control the flow of current in wires 74, 7 5'leading to the armature 40. By shifting the pole-changer, the armature is caused to rotate in either one direction or the other, so as to impel the paper carriage 35 either forwardly or backwardly as desired. It will be understood that when the line is being written, the battery 28 operates the motor between operations of the type-actions, so that the entire current is available for each operation.

By screwing in the plug 23 for about onefourth of the length of the solenoid, and making the core or plunger 15 about equal in length to the length of the solenoid, a very prompt action of thetype-bal. is secured. The solenoid may be about two inches in length, and about in the proportion shown, and when made in the described form is very powerful for its size, so that a large number may be assembled in the necessary small space, and a comparatively weak current may be employed. Some of the cores have longer strokes than others, according to the depth of stroke of the keylevers and the points of connection of the cores to the levers; but. the core in each instance nearly. touches the plug 23 at}. the completion of the printing stroke, and the shortest-stroke cores, being always near the stroke, so that the effect upon the type-bars is about the same as with the longest-stroke cores. About three-fourths of the length of the core is within the solenoid at the completion of the printing stroke.

In said Underwood machine, it is usual to shift the platen up and down. Normally it is in its lower position, Fig. 1,- so as to enable thelower case types 2 toprint; and it may be shifted up, Fig. 4, to enable the upper case types 1 to print. For this purpose the platen is usually mounted upon a shifting frame 76 connected to the carriage 35 and having a roll 77 to run upon a transverse horizontal rail 78 parallel with the rail 36. Said rail 78 is mounted upon a pair of elbow lever's 79 fixed upon a rock shaft 80. A

platen shift lever 81 having a key 82 and.

fulcrumed upon the usual fulcrum rod 83 is provided with an upstanding arm 84 to engage the rear vertical edge 79*,of the elbow lever 79, so that depression of the lever 81 locks the lever 79, and elevates the shift rail 78 together with the platen, Fig. 4. Accidental displacement of the platen frame when shifted either up or down is prevented by a bar or lever 85 having rear and forward notches 86, 87, the former normally engaging a pin 88 rojecting-laterally from the lower end of t e elbow lever 79. The lever 85 is pivoted at 89. At a point forward of said pivot it is connected by a link.

90 to the core 91 of asolenoid 92, Fig. 8,

connected at one end to the wire 27 and at the other end by a wire 93 to a contact 94, a

shift key or lever 95 upon'the 'operators knives 96 .for ing an insulation block 97 in which said contact 94 is mounted, said knives 96 being normally above said contact,

Fig. 2. At the first part of the depression of the key 95, the knives 96 engage the contact 94 thereby closing'circuit through the solenoid 92, and vibrating the rear end of lever 8511p to release the pin 88 and shift lever 79. As said key 95 is pressed farther down, said knives 96 engage a lower contact 98 in said block 97 which is connected through a wire 99 with a solenoid 100, the latter also connected to the wire 27, Fig. 8. The solenoid 100 is connected by a link 101 to the shift lever 81, Fig. 1, so that immediately upon being released from the looking lever 85, the platen frame and platen are shifted up to positions seen at Fig. 4. The operators shift key 95 is depressed still further, so as to become disengaged from the lower contact 98, Fi 5, so that the en tire flow of electricity rom the battery 28 may pass through any solenoid 19 for actuating a type bar 3, as at Fig. 4. During the downward movement of the key 95, contact is broken between the knives 96 and the terminal 94, and a spring 102 returns the lockthe operator, as many type bars may be op- I erated as desired, Upon release of the key 95, it is returned by one of the usual lever springs 103, and on its upward movement first effects an idle closing movement of the circuit through the solenoid 100, and continuing upward closes circuit through a solenoid 92 thereby again releasing the look ing pin 88'and releasing the shift arm 97, so that the platen, frame gravitates to a normal position.

The paper carriage 35 is of course provided with the usual escapement mechanism, a portion of which is seen at 104 in the form of a universal bar which is operated by a heel 105 formed upon the type bars. The motor constantly urges the paper carriage in letter-feeding direction; and the letter-feed I ing movements are controlled by such escapement mechanism, which in the Underwood machine usually comprises a rack 106 forming part of the carriage, a pinion 107 meshing with said rack, an escapement wheel 108 connected to said pinion, and fast and loose dogs 109, 110 mounted upon a rocker 111, the latter rocked by said universal bar 104. Whenever the armature of the motor turns it moves the carriage, since said armature is connected by gearing and a cord to the carriage. 1

Any number of writing machines may be electrically connected and all operated simultaneously from one operators machine or keyboard. For this purpose, all of the solenoids for the same t pe or letter may be connected in series. T e motors may also be connected in series so as to be controlled by the same pole-changer. The shifting solenoids may be connected in series, and so may be the magnets which release the shiftlock. If desired, however, the several mechafiislms may be electrically connected in para e V Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

This application is a division of my application No. 307,632 (Patent No. 868,890). Certain features herein described are claimed in my Patent No. 888,934, and application No. 356,476.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a letter feeding carriage, of an electrical motor spirally wound and connected to said carriage to tend constantly to urge the same in letter-feeding direction,

a key-controlled escapement mechanism normally restraining said carriage, and a polechanger for said motor to enable the motor to return the carriage to begin a new line of writing.

2. In combination, a reversible electrical motor, a winding device driven thereby, cables extending from said winding device, and a carriage to which said cables are connected in such a manner that said motor may drive the carriage in opposite directions.

3. In combination, a reversible electrical motor, a winding device driven thereby, cables extending from said winding device, and a carriage to which said cables are cohnected in such a manner that said motor may drive the carriage in opposite directions; means being provided for automatically taking up the slack in the cables.

4. In combination, a reversible electrical motor, a spool driven thereby, cables one wound reversely of the other upon said spool, and a letter feeding carriage to which said cables extend.

5. In combination, a typewriting machine framework, a letter-feedin carriage mounted thereon, a reversible e ectrical motor, a spool mounted upon the base-portion of the framework and operated by said motor, cables .woundoppositely u on said'spool, pulleys mounted upon the ase ofthe machine over which said cables run, pulleys mounted upon the upper part of the machine for said cables, and a letter feedin carriage to which said cables are connecte 6. The combination Wltl1 3. reversible motor of a type which produces a substantially uniform torque, of a paper carriage havinga line-spacing lever, and connections for enabling said motor both to drive said carriage in opposite directions, and to operate said line-spacing lever when returning .the fcarriage to begin a new line.

7. The combination with a reversible motor of. a type which produces a substantially uniform torque, of a paper carriage having a line-spacing lever, and connections for enabling said motor both to drivesaid carriage in opposite directions, and to operate said line-spacing lever when returning the carriage to begin a new line; a pair-of cables being connected to said motor, one of which is looped and attached to the linespace lever, and the other of which has a running attachment to said loop.

8. In combination, a set of type-actions, a set of keys, electrical connections from said keys to said type-actions, said connections being provided with a commonsource of energy, a motor having aspirally wound armature, and also connected to said source of energy, a pole-changer being rovided for said armature, and a letter fee ing car riage mechanically connected to said motor to be driven. thereby in both directions.

9. In combination, a set of type-actions,

a set of keys, electrical connections from saicl'keys to said ty e-actions, said connections being provide with a common source of energy, a motor having a spirally wound armature, and also connected to said source of energy, a pole-changer being provided for said armature, and a letter feeding carriage mechanically connected to said motor so as to be driven thereby in both directions; means being provided for enabling said motor to effectline-spacing when returning the carriage to begin a new line.

10. In a typewriting' machine, the combination with a letter feeding carriage, of a uniform torque rotary electrical motor connected to said carriage to tend constantly to urge the same in letter feeding" direction, and an. escapement mechanism to permit the carriage to be driven step by step by said motor. 4

11. In a typewritin machine, the combination with a letter ceding carriage, of a uniform torque electrical motor connected to said carriage to tend constantly to urge the same in letter feeding direction, an cs capement mechanism to permit the carriage to be driven step by step by said motor, andapole-changer for said motor to enable the motor to drive the carriagein' both directions.

I J. A. RONCI-IETTI.

Witnesses:

E. E. BASQUIN, V S. T. SMITH, Jr. 

